Safety-guard for cars



(No Model.) 'I

J. S. COLLINS. SAFETY GUARD FOR. CARS.

No 537,675. Patented Apr. 16, 1895.

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NITED STATES JOHN S. COLLINS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SAFETY-GUARD 'FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,67 5, dated Apri1'16, 1895.

. Application filed May 24, 1894- serial No. 512,255. (N'o model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOHN S. COLLINS, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety-Guards for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in safety guards for cars and more particularly to means for preventing the passage of passengers on and off an open sided car, such as is commonly employed during the summer season on traction railways.

In cars of the above character, where there is a double track, it is desirable to have some means of preventing the people from getting on and off on that side adjacent to the companion track and, since the car is commonly run back and forth on the track without changing ends, it is desirable that the guard should be so arranged that it may be moved out of the way to permit free access to and egress from the car on the side farthest from the companion track and again placed in position to guard the passengers when that sideof the car is adjacent to the companion track.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a View of a car in side elevation, showing the guard bar in operative position thereon. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, showing the guard bar on one side of the car up, out of the way, and on the opposite side of the car down, in position to guard; and Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation of the car,'showing the guard bar made in sections as differentiated from one continuous bar extending along the side of the car.

The platform of the car is denoted by A and it is provided at intervals with seats a from which uprise standards B. On the standards B, at opposite ends of each side of the car, I secure guide pieces 0, spaced from the standards B, forming a free opening for the movement of a guard bar from a position in a plane in proximity to the backs of the seats up to aposition in proximity to the cornice or roof of the car. The guide pieces 0 may be either a flat strip of metal or other suitable material or it may be a round rod, as desired, and it is preferably provided at or near its upper end, with alaterally and downwardly extending pocket 0 for the reception and retention of the guard bar when the latter is lifted out of guarding position. The pocket 0 may be conveniently formed by bending the strips 0 into the form of an open loop, the neck of the loop being preferably contracted to leave a space somewhat narrower than the diameter of the guard bar, so that the latterafter being forced through the neck of the loop by the springing apart of its walls-may be held within the loop against unintentional displacement.

The guard bar is denoted by D. It may be of any suitable shape in cross section, the form here shown being round. When down, it is intended to rest in a seat at the bottom of the guide strip 0, as shown on the left hand side of Fig. 2 and when up, it rests in the loop of the guide strip, as shown on the right hand side of Fig. 2.

Instead of making the guard bar in one continuous strip the length of the car, it may be made in sections, as shown in D, D Fig. 3. The number of the guide strips 0 for holding the bar in position is a matter of judgment. In cars of ordinary length, three such strips will be ample, viz: one at each end of the car and one intermediate.

What I claim is The combination with an open sided. car, of guide strips secured to standards at the side of the car and spaced therefrom forming vertical passageways, the said guide strips having at their upper ends laterally and downwardly projecting pockets, and a verticallymovable guard bar extending horizontally along within said passageways and adapted to enter said pockets and be retained therein when said bar is in its raised position, substantially as set forth.

JOHN S. COLLINS.

Witnesses:

FREDK'. HAYNES, B. B. SEWARD. 

